Fuse for projectiles



Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

PATENT OFFIQE.

WILLIAM L. LUKENS, OI? BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OE BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

FUSE FO'R PROJECTILES.

'a i'ication filed October 21, 1921. Serial No. 509,342.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Beit knownthat I, 'WILI'JAM L. LUKENS,

. acitizen ofthe United States, and residing at Bethlehem, Northampton County, State of Pennsylvania, have" invented certain new and useful lii prov'einents in Fuses for Projectiles, 'of'which thefollowing is 'a speci- .fication.'

' This invention relates to improvements in fuses for projectilespandparticularly to fuses which are'fnormally unarmed and which are automatically'armed'on firing the projectile. ,QA jfe'ature of the invention is the introduction o'f-a jd elay 'train in a movable part'bf'th'e-fuse the primer. The invention ,win, he fdescribedfin connection with the accompanying 'drawing in which V Fi ure l isasection through the axis of the use, showing'the parts in armed positioni i.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure. 1 looking forward in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a similar section showing the primercarrying block in unarmed position;

Figure 4'is a detail in' s ection on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a view partly in section on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, 10 indicates a fuse stock, which, as shown, is adapted to be screwed into a threaded opening in the base of a projectile.

In the middle of the fuse stock is a chamber 11 carrying the movable primer block 12, to be presently described. In the for ward part of the stock is a chamber 13 car rying a booster charge, the chamber 13 being separated from the chamber 11 by a partition 14 provided with a perforation 15 through which the booster charge is ignited. As shown the opening 15 is in the axial center of the fuse stock.

In the base of the fuse stock there is a plunger 16 carrying a firing pin 17. The plunger may be of any approved type adapted to move forward on impact of the projectile to cause the firing pin to detonate the primer. The plunger is normally held in the rear part of the plunger cavity by a restraining spring 18. As shown, the plunger housing consists of a cylindrical block 19 retained by a plug 20 screwed into the base of the fuse stock, the forward part of the housing consisting of a circular plate 21 having a central opening through which the firing pin may pass to detonate the primer.

The primer carrying block 12 is freely movable laterally in the cavity 11' but is not movable longitudinally therein, being substantially the same axial length as the cavity. The block is pivotally mounted on an eccentrically arranged pivot. As shown, it is carried by a substantial pivot pin 22- (Figure 5), the position of the pivot pin beilg indicated in dotted lines in Figures 2 an 3.

The primer block 12 is provided with a primer seat 23 and with a circuitous'channel 24 for a delay train, the channel beginning at the primer seat and terminating at a detonator charge 25 adapted to "ignite'the' booster charge-in chamber 13, The delay train channel 24 may be formed in any suitable manner. As shown, it is formed by boring lateral and longitudinal channels, the ends of which are closed by suitable plugs 26.

\Vhen the fuse is armed, the primer and the detonator are in line respectively with the firing pin and the opening 15 to the booster charge so that on impact, the firing pin will strike the primer and ignite the delay train and the latter will fire the detonator and ignite the booster charge. The primer block 12 normally stands in the position shown in Figure 3 with its free side against a pin 27 in the partition 14. It is held in this position yieldingly by a plunger 28 which is carried by the primer block and pressed by a spring 29 against the wall of, the cavity 11. The primer block is further held in its unarmed position, yieldingly, by a spring pressed locking pin 30 whichbears against the partition 14. When the projectile is fired, the rotation of the projectile is imparted to the fuse stock, while the primer block 12 is retarded by its inertia and caused to move relatively to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, that is, to the armed position. It is locked in this position by the pin 30 which enters the opening 31 in the partition 14. When the projectile is suddenly retarded on impact against any object, the plunger moves forward, driving the firing pin into the primer. The delay train then burns for a few moments, more or less, according to its length and composition, and then ignites the detonator 25 which in turn j s l m i gin ignites the booster charge-in cavity 13. The booster. charge, as is well known, ignites the bursting charge of the projectile.

The primer block 12 may bevariously shaped but the form shown in the drawing is preferred. It .-wi'll be noted'tha't one side of the primer block is arc-shaped and of the same radius as the cavity 11. This formation gives to the primer block alar e hearing surface to resist the impact wien the block is thrown vto. the armed position; as the; projectile is leaving-the gun. 1 Having thus described my invention what is claimed as new and desired to be securedby: Letters .Patentis: i

1. In a fuse forgprojectiles, the combination with a fusestockhaving,avplunger in its'rear end, provided cwitlra firi pin, of a Pr mer block-,pivotally .mount d in said stock zand, ,.provided wlth a delay; train; a primerQseat at one end of the delay train and awdetonator. at; I the {other end thereof, the said primer block being adapted to move-in itSf CaVi t upon notation of the pro-' priinerseat in line with h fi g P l i 2; Ida fuse for projectiles, the combina tion with a fuse stock having a cylindrical cavity and a plunger located inthe rear of the cavity and provided with a firing pin of a .block eccentrically pivoted in said cavity and provided with a primer seat and meansffor yieldingly holding .said block in unarmed position Wit the primer seat out of line with the firing pin, said means comprising alspriiig' plunger mounted in the and provided with a primer seat and for yieldingly holding said block in unfor projectiles, the combination with a fuse stock having a cylindrical cavity and alunger located in therea r of the-cavity and provided With'a firin pin of a block eccentrically pivoted in sai cavity means armed position 'withthe primer seat out of line with the firing pin, said means..com-. v

prising a spring plunger mounted in 'the' primer block and bearing on the wall of the cavity and a fixed [stop for'determining the unarmed position of the block.

4. In a fuse forprojectiles,the combination of a fuse stockhavii'ig at itsfo'rward end a chamber for a booster charge and having a centrally arranged chamber for a primer block separated from the booster chamber by a centrally perforatedpartition and havingat its rear end a plunger carrying the firing pin of'a'primer block eb'cen trically pivoted in said primer block' chain-5 her-and provided with a primer -seatat its rear end, a detonating charge "at its'forw ai'd end and an intermediate delay'traimsai-d;

primer block being movable to armed position by centrifugal force-to bring the primer seat and detona-ting charge into line with the firing pin and the perforation in said par= tition, respectively.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix-my signature.

WILLIAM L. LU ENs. 

